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Macaron Tutorial

Friday, May 08, 2009

I know I talk a lot about my family back home and the times, desserts and events shared over there but I also have a strong sense of my being and living here in the States, in the present moment. And I am always very aware of things coming up this fine weekend of May. It's Mother's Day. Except it does not phase my own mother much because that special day is not celebrated until the end of the month in France. However she enjoys the fact that with my being here and celebrating Bill's mom, I can't wait another two weeks to tell her anyway. And I realized while making these lemon-basil infused lemon tartelettes that there was a whole of "mothers" going into them.

My mother-in-law is "mama Ruth" to me. She welcomed me to the family like a daughter and she treats me as such and never refrains anything, the good, the bad and the ugly, just like a mom does. She also has what I call a very acute "pantry 6th sense". I can be thinking that I need sugar and Bill comes home with a bag courtesy from his mom (they live 10 minutes away). It's downright freaky some days. Sometimes we shop in doubles like we did last week and I found myself with three big bags of lemons which is why you get one more strawberry free - not yet blackberry post. "Mother moment #1".

I started coming up with various recipes to use all these lemons and since I had some pate brisee left from another project, "tartes au citron" easily came to mind. I have a recipe typed up in my brain from the restaurant menu but I also like to try new ones and it was a good opportunity to flip through the pile of cookbook I own but rarely have time to open. I picked up Pierre Herme's Larousse Des Desserts that my mom sent me last year, figuring that he, of all people would have what I needed. "Mother moment #2".

I settled on a very simple and 100% lemon recipe for the tarts but changed a couple of things around nonetheless. PH uses a shorbread crust but I had pate brisee in the freezer and used it instead. I also wanted to had a little depth to the lemon filling by infusing the melted butter called for in the recipe with lemon basil. I almost wished I had added more than I did. It really gave the filling a lovely grassy quality. I had to refrain though as I am trying not to deplete too fast that lovely lemon-basil plant Mama Ruth picked out at the nursery for me. "Mother moment #3".

As I was baking, I started to think about all these "mother moments" and began to smile bigger and bigger with each step of the process. From prepping and baking to photographing. A lot of you send emails asking me about the props I use and the answer is almost always "mom". My mom. The best personal shopper a food stylist could ever dream of. Rolling pin, tart rings, microplane, pretty lemon bowl...Mom. Care packages with ingredients, tablecloth, napkins, jars, cups and spoons...Mom. She really gets a kick out of it and I am always floored by the cool stuff she finds in the most unexpected places.

So you see, even if I did not intend to make the lemon tarts for Mother's Day, it became quite clear that they really ought to be blogged about this weekend. Thank you MamaRuth and Maman for all the things you say and do. All the love and forgiveness. Happy Mother's Day to all of you reading this and being celebrated this Sunday!

I also want to thank Suzanne from S.HopTalk for including one of my pictures in this amazing Why Moms Matter video. Pass it along to any mom you know! I hear an ebook is soon to follow...

Prepare the dough:Mix together the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture forms pea-sized pieces. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the flour mixture and toss with fork until moistened. Repeat with the remaining water, one tablespoon at a time and gather the dough into a ball with your hand. Do not handle the dough too long. Wrap into a sheet of plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. This will allow the dough to relax and make it easier to roll, keeping it from becoming tough. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface, applying pressure from the center to the edges until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Cut out six 6- inch circles onto the dough and press them into the tartlet molds or rings (or one 9 inch pan if making a larger tart). Place the rings or molds on a baking sheet. Prick the dough with a fork, apply a piece of parchment paper inside the molds and fill with dry beans or pie weights. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F and when ready, bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely and remove the pie weights and paper. Keep the oven at 350F.

Prepare the filling:In a small saucepan set over medium heat, cook the butter and lemon basil until the butter is just melted. Let cool and strain to remove the lemon basil. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, the juice and zest from the lemons and the melted butter. Divide evenly among the tarts and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve room temperature.

What a beautiful tart, and I love that last picture of the flowers - just stunning! My mother and I are not terribly in tune, but I love her all the same. Yours is a fitting way to celebrate Mothers Day.

God bless all the mothers of the world! It is such a blessing to have someone on whom you can depend anytime. BTW, my mother and sister get me quite a lot of quaint stuff too. Most of my earthen and brassware belong to my mum:). The tartlettes look great as always!

just wanted to say hello! i really enjoy your blog, it is so fantastic. your pastries are so lovely. i will have to try the recipe for tartelette au citron and it just so happens that in le figaro magazine today i saw that they did a test of 20 tartelette au citron here in Paris. you can see the article here: http://www.lefigaro.fr/scope/articles-restaurants/2009/05/06/08004-20090506ARTFIG00002-les-meilleures-tartelettes-au-citron-de-paris-.phpcheers!

You know what I think of here, Its a Wonderful Life... all the ways in which we touch each others life from the miniscule to grandiose. Whether we are a Mom or not, this is the way we mother each other with kindness and thoughtfulness. You too, mother all of us with your love in your recipes and what you write. The way you Mother those around you, your friends and neighbors. We should never underestimate the power we have to touch each other!

This totally reminds me of the first "fancy" restaurant I went to as a child that served a lemon basil sorbet. I remember thinking the combo was odd back then, but I've come to associate the combination with good food. Your tartelettes look gorgeous as usual.

Tarte au citron is always my favourite when it comes to the crunch - and as one of my favourite herbs is basil, I'm going to have to try this recipe very soon. Your photos are always so gorgeous and inspiring too :)

may i know what camera u use? i go on ur blog pretty much everyday. and love the reciepes (have only worked up the courage to try a few) and the photographs and was wondering wat camera u use. Thanks =)

Candice L.: for the most part I use a Canon Rebel XTI but I have had a few other cameras as loaners by several shops over the past few months like Canon Mark II or Nikon D700. It all depends what I get to play with.

I only got this far....and will "continue" reading in a moment but I wanted to tell you how I loved reading about your affection for your "momma Ruth," and the like mindedness you share. Very real.AmyRuth

what a coincidence! i was at momo's, a morroccan restaurant and tea room in london on sunday and have a fabulous lemon tart there - but the weird coincidence it that you should style this photo using a morroccan tea glass... what a beautiful shot (again)!

trop. mignon. i have to say, i am a vertical shot snob, but it is quite nice to see your horizontal, i think i may start adding in more than one or two during my shoots :P

ps. my desserts at my party went absolutely brilliantly, the party was amazing, i couldnt believe i actually made 100 macarons and an army of cupcakes and a layer cake. and on top of it all i graduated and moved out of my house, all at the same time! but i must thank you for your advice :)